Crohn’s Disease: Basic Characteristics of the Disease, Diagnostic Methods, the Role of Biomarkers, and Analysis of Metalloproteinases: A Review
Grzegorz Pasternak,
Grzegorz Chrzanowski,
David Aebisher,
Angelika Myśliwiec,
Klaudia Dynarowicz,
Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher,
Barbara Sosna,
Grzegorz Cieślar,
Aleksandra Kawczyk-Krupka,
Rafał Filip
Affiliations
Grzegorz Pasternak
Department of General Surgery, Provincial Clinical Hospital No. 2 in Rzeszów, 35-301 Rzeszów, Poland
Grzegorz Chrzanowski
Department of Biology, College of Natural Sciences, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
David Aebisher
Department of Photomedicine and Physical Chemistry, Medical College, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
Angelika Myśliwiec
Center for Innovative Research in Medical and Natural Sciences, Medical College, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
Klaudia Dynarowicz
Center for Innovative Research in Medical and Natural Sciences, Medical College, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
Dorota Bartusik-Aebisher
Department of Biochemistry and General Chemistry, Medical College, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
Barbara Sosna
Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Batorego 15 Street, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
Grzegorz Cieślar
Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Batorego 15 Street, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
Aleksandra Kawczyk-Krupka
Department of Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Center for Laser Diagnostics and Therapy, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Batorego 15 Street, 41-902 Bytom, Poland
Rafał Filip
Department of Internal Medicine, Medical College, University of Rzeszów, 35-310 Rzeszów, Poland
Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease that affects the ileum and/or large intestine. At the same time, it can also affect any other part of the human body, i.e., from the mouth to the anus. In Crohn’s disease, the physiology and functioning of the epithelial barrier are inhibited due to the correlation of various factors, such as the environment, genetic susceptibility or intestinal microbiota. The symptoms are very troublesome and cause a significant reduction in quality of life, sometimes occurring with paralyzing permanent damage to the digestive tract, requiring enteral or parenteral nutrition throughout life. In order to make a proper and accurate diagnosis, an appropriately selected diagnostic path in a given clinical entity is necessary. Standard diagnostic methods are: laboratory examination, histopathological examination, endoscopic examination, X-ray, computed tomography, ultrasound examination and magnetic resonance imaging. Medical biology and the analysis of metalloproteinases have also proved helpful in diagnosing changes occurring as a result of Crohn’s disease. Here we provide a thorough review of the latest reports on Crohn’s disease and its genetic conditions, symptoms, morphology, diagnosis (including the analysis of Crohn’s disease biomarkers, i.e., metalloproteinases) and treatment.
